Sanitary telephone-transmitter.



`1 J. H. OCONNBLL` SANITARY TELEPHONE TRANSMITTER.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.5, 1908.

, 4 Q l 1,010,449. Pantednec. 5, v1911.

Img' .5. lfgf t/C/evcesas: Ff/ue www@ @Mw 'noia/iria. 'i l JOHN H. OG'ONNELL, 0F BOSTON,' MASSACHUSETTS.

.Specification of Letters Patent.

sammler TELEPHONE-TRANSMITTER.

Appliction'led December 5, 1998. Serial No. 466,048.

To all whom.4 it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN'I-I. OCoNNELu, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Boston, county of Sulfolk, and State ofMas sachusetts, have invented. an Improvement Ain Sanitary. Telephone-Transniit-ters, of which the following description, in connection with theaccoiiipanying drawing, is la specification,likefletters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention hasv for its object to provide i telephone transmitter which is sanit'wvin every respect and which affords no .opportunity for the accumulation of disease germs, dirt, dust, etc., on the diaphragm or other interior parts of the transmitter.

All transmitters that I am familiar 'With are provided Witha front. plate having an opening through which a portion of the diaphragmf'is exposed andusually a mouth v piece is employed' to direct the sound Waves through the opening in the'front plate and onto the diaphragm. In telephones having this construction the ldiaphragm is very apt to accumulate dust, dirt or disease germs, but it is impossible to remove the diaphragm for cleansing or disinfecting it because said diaphragm is permanently connected with the variable resistance and -other interior pai-ts of the transmitter. With my invention the diaphragm is entirely protected because the front plate isimperforateand has no opening therein through Which-unsanitary`mat terinight find itsW-ay to the diaphragm. I propose to make the central. portionofthe front plate 'of suicient thinness so that it i construction will not interfere 40 '.ginitter.

will not interfere with lthe passage of the' sound .Waves to the diaphragm, and thus my iii any Way with the ordinary use ofa telephone trans- In the drawings wherein- I have shown several embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a sectional View of a'telephone transmitter showing one embodimentof my invention; Fig. 2 is a front view; Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are modifications.

he diaphragm of the transmitter is shown at 8 and it has associated therewith the variable resistance 4 of usual construction and it is. sustained by a frame 5 forming part of or received in' a casing 6. A front plate 7 is ai'- ranged over'the front of the diaphragm, said front plate being secured tothe casing 6 or frame 5 in any suitable way. This front 'protects the diaphragm from the breath of persons using the telephone and prevents the accumulation of dust, dirt or other unsanitary matter on the diaphragm.

The central portion 8 of the front plate is made sufficiently thin so that it will not iii any way retard the' transmission of sound Waves to the diaphragm and will not therefore interfere with the ordinary use of the telephone. If desired, the whole area of the front plate may be made thin, as shown in Figs. l and' 5, or the outer rim portion 9 of t-he front plate may he made comparatively thick While the central portion 8 only is made thin, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The front plate may also `have variousshapes. It may be concave throughout substantially its entire extent, as shown in Fig. l, or con vex throughout substantially its entire extent-, as shown jin Fig. 3, or the central thin port-ion 8 onlymay be concave, as shown in Fig. 4, or said central portion may be convex, as shown in Fig. 5.

\Inall embodiments of my invention the diaphragm is completely protected from the breath' of the .persons using'the telephone, and the only part on which any unsanitary matter can accumulate is the front plate itself which can be readily Washed or disinfected Without injuring ory affecting in any Way the diaphragm or other delicate parts on the' interior of the diaphragm.

While I have shown a few embodiments of my'inventioii, I do not wish to he limited to the constructions illustrated, as it will be obvious that many changes in the arrangement and shape of the parts may be made without departing` from the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire t-o secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a telephone tran smitter for talking purposes, the combination with a shell, a diaphragiii-reeeiving frame therein and a diaphragm and variable resistance carried by` the frame, oi'aa single imperforate metallic front plate overlying the front vface of the detachably secured thereto. said plate extending to the periphery of the frame and having a smoothexterior surface free Patented Dec. 5, 1911.'

from sharp shoulders, the central portion 'of said plate being sufiiciently thin soas not. to interfere appreciably with the transmission of sound vibrations to the diaphragm.

` 2. In a telephone transmitter for talking purposes, the 'combination with a shell, a

diaphragm-receiving frame-'therein sind s In testimony whereof,I have Signed my diaphra m and variable resistance 'carried name to this specification in the presence of bythe rame, of a single imperforate front. two subscribing Witnesses.'

A filata detachably secured to the frame and JOHN H..OCONNELL.

.5 aving a smooth exterior surface free 'from Witnesses:

LoUIs C. SMITH,

sharp shoulders, lthe central portion of which is thlnner than the portion near the edgej THOMAS J. DRUMMoND. 

